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Thursday, April 25, 2013

Here's my shopping list for the week of April 28, based on the sales that week. This is assuming four people who eat all three meals a day at home, for one week. Twenty-one meals in total. It comes to a total of $105.92. Not bad, huh?

ALDI

6 dozen eggs at 79 cents per
dozen (price when I was there on Monday)

1 pound butter at $2.19
(advertised price)

3-1/2 pounds of mushrooms at 89
cents for 8 ounces (advertised price)

3-pound bag of onions for $1.49
(they’re usually about that at Aldi’s)

3 heads of lettuce at 99 cents
per head (I’ve seen that price there a lot but not sure it’s current)

4 1-pound bags baby carrots at 79
cents a bag (advertised price)

2 heads celery at 79 cents a head
(price when I was there Monday)

8 cans of tuna at 68 cents per
can (price when I was there Monday)

1 30-ounce jar of mayo (price the
last time I checked there, about a month ago)

4 10-ounce packs of grape
tomatoes (advertised price)

2 3-packs of cucumbers at 99
cents a pack (advertised price)

1 pint sour cream at $1.29 (I
think that was the price)

1 quart half and half for $1.49
(they may have raised the price to $1.69 recently)

So here are the menus that I came up with. They're not exciting, but they are good and they are filling and they are nutritious and they are cheap! Three meals a day for a week for four people - for just $105.90. And that's assuming you have very little to start with other than things like salt and pepper, mustard, and a very few other condiments.

4 pork chops (2 pounds), with a pound of mushrooms and 2
onions sautéed in 4 tablespoons of butter, and half a head of lettuce with half
a cup of salad dressing (one 8-ounce pork chop with vegetables and salad with 2
tablespoons of dressing per person)

1 pound brats, 4 ears sweet corn, 4 tablespoons butter,
salad of one pound cabbage with 1/2 c mayo and 1/2 onion (1 brat and 1 ear of
corn per person, with a tablespoon of butter per person for the corn, and some
cabbage salad)

Sunday, April 14, 2013

(this recipe is from allrecipes.com, but it's a classic recipe and is available everywhere)A long time ago you used to have to make your
Hollandaise sauce in a double boiler, slowly adding the butter to the eggs and
having a good chance of ending up with very buttery scrambled eggs instead.
That’s why people are afraid of Hollandaise sauce. Today, with a blender, it’s
a snap. Save the egg whites to make a meringue, or use two whites and one whole egg to equal two whole eggs when making scrambled eggs or in other recipes.

4 egg yolks

1/4 t Dijon mustard

4 t lemon juice

1 dash Tabasco or similar hot pepper sauce (optional)

10 T (1/2 cup +2 T) butter, completely melted and still hot

Combine the egg yolks, mustard, lemon juice and hot sauce in
the blender. Cover and blend for about 5 seconds. With the blender on high,
slowly pour the butter through the hole in the lid in a thin stream. It should
thicken immediately. Serve immediately, or keep warm by putting the blender
container in a pan or bowl of hot tap water. Don’t use boiling or simmering
water or the eggs will curdle.

Wash the stalks, cut off the scales (not the ones at the
very top), and cut off the tough stalks at the bottom. Steam or nuke it until
tender-crisp. It doesn’t take very long. You can cut it into 1” pieces, but I
like the long stalks. They look more elegant on the plate. Drain the asparagus
well and serve with butter or HOLLANDAISE SAUCE.

Wash them, poke holes in them so they don’t burst in
the oven, then bake them whole. Get small ones and give everyone either a whole
potato or a half potato. Cut them open like baked potatoes and put lots of
butter on them.

Score the outside of the ham in a 1” diamond pattern (That means cut
almost through the fat in a diamond pattern. It’s easiest if you cut a 1” strip
of cardboard or foil or something, and use that to make your lines.) and put a
whole clove at each point of the diamonds. Then bake according to the
directions on the packet. You can make a glaze of brown sugar and either apple
juice or orange juice if you want to, but it's not necessary.

Figure you get about 12 ounces of meat from each pound of ham
(because of the bone). The bones will be about the same size regardless of how
big the ham is, so you might as well get a big one and have lots of leftovers.
If you get a ten pound ham, you can serve eight ounces of meat (about a cup and
a half, if it were cubed) per person and use just barely over half the ham. That's a bigger serving than you need, but it's Easter, after all, or a Spring celebration dinner.

Thursday, April 11, 2013

A meringue is just whipped egg whites and sugar that’s been baked at a
low temperature. You can make individual meringues or one big one that you cut in wedges to serve.

Meringue

(adapted from (mostly translated from) bbcgoodfood.com)

4 egg whites (save the yolks and use them in Hollandaise sauce or custard, or give them to the dog)

1-1/4 c sugar

1 t white vinegar

1 t cornstarch

1 t vanilla extract

Heat oven to 300. Using a pencil, trace around the outside of a cup or bowl about 4" in diameter on parchment paper or foil, being careful not to tear the
paper or foil. Beat the eggs until they form soft peaks, then beat in the
sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the meringue looks glossy. Beat in the
vinegar, cornstarch and vanilla. Pile the meringue onto the circles and use the back of spoon to make them bowl shaped. Bake at 275 for about 45 minutes, then turn off the heat and let the meringues cool completely inside the oven. Leave them in the cold oven as long as you can. The dry air in there will make it keep better than being out in the more humid kitchen. (Don’t forget it’s in there, though, and turn on the oven! I find that fastening a note to the on/off switch for the oven is a good idea.)

Filling

1 lb strawberries

1/4 c sugar

Wash the strawberries and pull out any stems and leaves. Let
them dry completely. Slice them if they’re large, or leave them whole if they
are small. Add the sugar and let them sit for at least a few minutes. The sugar will make them juicy. Fill the meringues with the strawberries. A dollop of whipped cream on top is a nice touch, as is a fresh mint leaf or two.

A
Pavlova is just a big “bowl” made of meringue and filled with a fruit and
whipped cream mixture. You can use any kind of fruit you want. Just be sure it's something you want whipped cream with.

Pavlovas are traditionally served in a big bowl and cut into wedges to serve. You can make individual ones instead, by just making smaller bowls.

Meringue

4 egg whites (save the yolks for Hollandaise sauce or custard)

1-1/4 c sugar

1 t white vinegar

1 t cornstarch

1 t vanilla extract

Heat oven to 300. Using a pencil, trace around the outside
of a dinner plate on parchment paper or foil, being careful not to tear the
paper or foil. Beat the eggs until they form soft peaks, then beat in the
sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the meringue looks glossy. Beat in the
vinegar, cornstarch and vanilla. Spread the meringue inside the circle,
creating a crater by making the sides a little higher than the middle. Bake for
1 hour, then turn off the heat and let the Pavlova cool completely inside the
oven. Leave the Pavlova in the cold oven as long as you can. The dry air in
there will make it keep better than being out in the more humid kitchen. (Don’t
forget it’s in there, though, and turn on the oven! I find that fastening a
note to the on/off switch for the oven is a good idea.)

Filling

1 lb strawberries

1-1/2 c whipping cream

1/4 c sugar

Wash the strawberries and pull out any stems and leaves. Let
them dry completely. Slice them if they’re large, or leave them whole if they
are small. Whip the cream and the sugar until thickened. (Start with the mixer
on low and gradually increase or you’ll end up with cream all over the
kitchen.) Fill the crater in the cooled Pavlova with the whipped cream and put
the strawberries on top. Cut into wedges to serve.

Pick green beans that are about the same size and not too fat. Top and tail them and wash them. You’ll probably need to cut them. If
you can leave them in about 6” lengths, do so. Otherwise, go ahead and cut them
in about 1-1/2” pieces. The longer ones look more elegant but aren’t as easy to
eat. Cook them in boiling salted water until tender-crisp. I like all of the
raw taste gone but I want them to still have a bit of bite. Mom likes hers
cooked to death. Cook them however suits your family. As soon as they’re done,
drain them and set them aside. Throw out the water. In the same pan, heat 2
tablespoons of butter. Add 1/2 cup of slivered or sliced almonds. Heat for a
couple of seconds, add the green beans, toss everything together, and serve.
You can cook the beans ahead of time, if you want, and then reheat them in the
butter at the last minute.

1. Put the beans and four cups water in a pot and bring to boil. Turn off heat and let sit, covered, for one hour.
2. Bring the contents of the pot to boil again. Cover, turn heat to low, and simmer for 45 minutes.
3. Add the vegetables and herbs.
4. Simmer for 20 minutes or until beans are tender, adding more water if needed.
5. Season to taste with salt, pepper, vinegar, and olive oil.
6. Simmer for another 15 minutes to let flavors blend.
Adapted from the December 26, 1982 New York Times version of a Madhur Jaffrey recipe.

Sunday, April 7, 2013

A variation on basic pesto, this sauce is perfect in late winter/early spring when chickweed is one of the few fresh greens available in the garden.

1 cup of packed arugula
leaves, stems removed

1 cup packed chickweed
leaves

1/2 cup of toasted
sunflower seeds

1/2 cup fresh Parmesan
cheese

1/2 cup extra virgin
olive oil

1/2 garlic clove peeled
and minced (or a few garlic cloves un peeled, if you have time to roast them)

1/2 teaspoon salt

Brown garlic cloves with
their peels on in a skillet over medium high heat until the garlic is lightly
browned in places, about 10 minutes. Remove the garlic from the pan, cool, and
remove the skins.

Toast the nuts in a pan
over medium heat until lightly brown.

Food processor method (the fast way): Combine the arugula, chickweed,
salt, sunflowers, roasted garlic into a food processor. Pulse while drizzling
the olive oil into the processor. Add the Parmesan cheese and pulse. Remove the
mixture from the processor and put it into a bowl.

Mortar and pestle method: Combine the nuts, salt and garlic in a mortar.
With the pestle, grind until smooth. Add the cheese and olive oil, grind again
until smooth. Finely chop the arugula and add it to the mortar. Grind up with
the other ingredients until smooth.

Because the pesto is so
dependent on the individual ingredients, and the strength of the ingredients
depends on the season or variety, test it and add more of the ingredients to
taste.

Serve with pasta, over
freshly roasted potatoes, or as a
sauce for pizza.

To use: To
substitute for one can of condensed cream of something soup, mix 1/3 cup of dry
mix with 1-1/4 c water in a saucepan. Cook and stir until thickened. Add
cheese, mushroom bits, or celery to duplicate the canned soup called for in the
recipe. In my not-so-humble opinion, there’s really not much difference in
taste between the different kinds of cream of whatever soups. Mostly it’s just
something that holds the casserole together. So, while it won’t hurt to add
some mushrooms or celery or whatever, it probably isn’t necessary.

Cacoa nibs are bits of
cacao seeds that have been processed almost to the point of being ground for
cocoa powder or made into chocolate bars. They’ve been dried, fermented,
roasted and crushed. You’ve heard of the health benefits of dark chocolate?
Well, cacao nibs are even better for you because they’re just the chocolate
part without any sugar or milk or other additions. They’re bitter because they
have so many flavonoids, the antioxidant for which dark chocolate is known.
Don’t worry – the recipe isn’t for chocolate coated pork chops! Cacao nibs
smell like dark chocolate but have just a hint of chocolate flavor. You can buy
cacao nibs at Bloomingfoods in the bulk foods section. One fourth cup should
weigh about one ounce.

(based
on a recipe at thisissogood.wordpress.com)

¼ cup Cacao Nibs

1 Tablespoon smoked paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

4 pork chops (about 2 pounds
total)

3 Tablespoons fat, preferably
bacon grease or butter

Preheat your oven to 400
degrees. Using a spice grinder, crush the nibs to the size of tiny pebbles -
only 1 or 2 pulses. (If you don’t have a spice mill, place the nibs on a cutting
board and pulverize them with the bottom of a heavy pan. Just don’t
pulverize them too small.) Combine with
the paprika, salt, and cayenne. Rub the pork chops with half of the
mixture, saving the other half for the second side of the chops when they are
in the pan. Let the chops sit for about 15 minutes to come to room temperature.
When you are ready to fry the chops, melt the fat in an oven-proof skillet. Let
it get nice and hot and then place the pork chops, seasoned side down, in the
pan. Fry for 2 minutes. While they are frying, coat the bare side of the
chops with the remaining cacao nibs mixture. After 2 minutes, the chops
should lift easily from the pan with some tongs. If they are sticking,
give them 30 seconds to a minute more. Flip and fry the second side for 2
minutes. Transfer the pan to the preheated oven for 5 minutes, then check for
doneness. If done, remove them to a heated (yes, that’s what the recipe says,
but I don’t think I’ve ever heated a plate or platter my life!) platter and let
them rest for a few minutes. If you leave them in the pan to rest they will
continue to cook and will probably end up overdone, dry and tough.

Lay out the pork chops and
sprinkle with salt and pepper. Slather mustard mix on pork chops, stack them on
top of each other, and set aside for 10 minutes or so. Line a baking pan with
foil, and lay the pork chops in it. Set the broiler on low and put the pork
chops on a rack about 4” or 5” from the broiler. Broil for 3 minutes. Take them
out and flip them over and broil for 3-4 minutes more, or until the tops have started
to brown well. Check for doneness; different ovens broil differently, and the
thickness of the chops will affect the cooking time.

Mix all of the ingredients
except the pork chops and drippings in a small bowl. Rub the pork chops with
the spice mixture and allow to rest at room temperature for at least 30
minutes. Melt the lard in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Sear
the pork chops until browned, about 2 minutes per side. Lower the temperature
to medium-low; cover and continue to cook until the pork chops reach an
internal temperature of 145 F, another 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the chops from
the skillet; cover and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Pork takes well to a number of sauces. BBQ sauce is a natural, as are the sweet
Chinese sauces like hoisin sauce. Something that’s used a lot in casseroles is
Cream of Mushroom Soup. The simplest version is simply a can of soup, possibly
diluted with a bit of milk or cream, poured over the chops (browned if you have
time, not browned if you don’t) and baked. Serve it with broccoli or other
vegetables and use the soup as a gravy. Of course, it’s better if you use
homemade Cream of Whatever Soup instead of the canned stuff. Curry sauces are good with pork, as are some salsas.
Pan gravy is great with it. Sauces with peanuts and peanut butter are good,
too.

Pork goes well with fruit. Pork and apple sauce is a classic. Other
possibilities include cherries, pineapple, peaches, plums, nectarines,
cranberries, oranges, pears, and mangos. Try opening a can of something and
either marinating the pork chops in the juice or using the fruit to make a
sauce or glaze after the chops are cooked. Or heat the fruit up with a spice or
two and serve it on the side, like you would applesauce with cinnamon.

Some people don’t like fruit with meat. The complaint I’ve
usually heard is that it’s too sweet. If you feel this way, try something less
sweet. Instead of pineapple in heavy syrup or cherries in syrup or sweetened
applesauce, try a fruit salsa. The heat from the peppers may balance out the
sweetness of the fruit enough to make it work for you. Or a relish made of
cranberries and oranges without sugar. The tartness of the cranberries may
offset the sweetness of the orange enough for you.

First, herbs and spices that go well with pork. Just about
everything, actually! Think of all the different cuisines that use pork, and
the different seasonings that each uses. Chinese. Mexican. German. Italian.
Thai. French. English. And many more. They have each found a way to use their
traditional seasonings with pork.

So what do you do with this list? Well, the next time you
make plain old pork chops, try adding a different herb. Maybe marinate them
first in a mixture of juice (lemon, lime or orange) and an herb or two. Some
combinations you might not have thought of include: